My God Dances

When I think of you, I see you dancing -- you're dancing
When I think of you, I hear you singing for me . . .

So sings the African Children's Choir with Michael W. Smith on a CD in my car. The first time I heard the song, I thought it odd to think of someone dancing and singing for me. Maybe they do that in Africa, I considered. Around these parts, people don't dance and sing to show their emotions.

Then the chorus came and I realized these lyrics are not directed to another person, they're directed to Yahweh -- God. How about that! Now, honestly -- how many of you, when you think of God, imagine him singing and dancing? How many of you have ever, even once, pictured God singing and dancing? Seriously, take a moment: what does his singing voice sound like? Tenor, baritone or bass? Operatic, lyrical, or gruff rocker style? Does he dance with stiff form or shake his body with wild abandon?

Back when we lived in Springfield, Missouri, I went to a drama ministry conference in Branson, and part of the package was attending a show there . . . the name of which escapes me, but it was an elaborate and fabulous production of the life of Jesus. The guy who played Jesus had previously performed in the same production in Texas for several years, so he had done this show about a thousand times. He was one of those men who, if you saw him walking down the street, would make you do a double-take -- he just LOOKS like Jesus, at least how we picture him today.

It was a great show and he was a great actor, but the thing that affected me the most about his performance was the personality of the Jesus he portrayed. When he saw his disciples again after the resurrection, he ran to them, and grabbed them in a big hug -- none of this feathery, ethereal, see-through angel-like apparition we see in the movies. He was a real man, with real passion and a real love for these, his best friends on earth.

And during one scene (I believe it was the water to wine wedding scene), he joined the crowd in a traditional dance. It was amazing, seeing the Lord of Creation holding hands with random people, swinging around in a circle, smiling and laughing heartily, and dancing. Why don't we ever imagine God dancing?

How shallow and patchy is our acquaintance with God. And how pitiful that we are satisfied with that when our main purpose for being here is to know him, glorify him, and enjoy him forever.